


5 Centimetres

by captainraz



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen, Tumblr: ds9tumblzine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-21 03:23:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1535783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainraz/pseuds/captainraz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezri pranks Odo in an effort feel like she belongs on DS9.</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Centimetres

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the DS9 Tumblrzine week 5 prompt "close encounters of the third kind". I was kind of supposed to focus on secondary characters rather than main cast, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. Crossposted at: http://ds9tumblzine.tumblr.com

It was the first time in months that Odo had returned to his quarters. He'd been spending most of his off duty hours with Nerys. In the early days of their relationship they'd maintained some private time away from each other, but more recently they'd spent as much time as possible together. It had started after Jadzia's death, Nerys needing to be comforted as she worked through losing yet another friend. Then when Sisko left the station and Nerys took command she'd found that time off duty had become rarer and rarer, so they'd tried to spend as much of that time together as possible. Even when he'd had to revert to his liquid state Odo had remained in Nerys' quarters, usually curled up in the sink.

 

So it had been quite some time since he'd last spent any appreciable amount of time in his own quarters. As such, he was much less attuned to the layout and it took him a while to notice that something was off. Once he had noticed it though, it became extremely difficult to un-notice. Every single object in his quarters had been moved five centimetres closer to the centre of the room.

 

He wondered just how long his quarters had been in such a state of disarray. Had Jadzia carried out one last prank before she'd died? It couldn't be; Odo knew he'd spent the last few nights of her life in his quarters, so she wouldn't have had the opportunity. And he'd indulged himself in a furious round of grief filled shape shifting just after the funeral. Even as upset as he'd been he would have noticed that all his belongings were incorrectly placed.

 

It had to have been Ezri.

 

He smiled at the thought of the tiny Trill woman dragging his shape shifting sculpture across his quarters. He wondered how he was going to react to this since he genuinely wasn't as bothered about the mess as he would once have been; a messy humanoid relationship had seen to that. But then it struck him that Ezri might have fallen back on old Dax habits as a means of coming to terms with being joined. Or as a way of feeling accepted. 

 

Which meant that there was only one possible course of action.

 

"Computer, location of Lieutenant Ezri Dax."

 

"Lieutenant Dax is on the Promenade," came the curt Cardassian voice.

 

Less than five minutes later Odo had found her on the upper level talking to Julian.

 

"Dax!" shouted Odo in his best Constable voice. Ezri looked up, startled, before hiding behind Dr Bashir.

 

"Constable, what in earth is going on?" asked Bashir in clipped tones.

 

"Ask Lieutenant Dax," replied Odo sharply. "Ask Lieutenant Dax why every single piece of furniture in my quarters is five centimetres from where it is supposed to be."

 

Ezri poked her head around Julian's shoulder, giving them both a very Jadzia-like grin.

 

"Just wanted to see if you'd notice," she said sheepishly. "Someone has to keep you on your toes."

 

Odo hrumphed and folded his arms. 

 

"When exactly did you pull this little scheme," asked Julian, valiantly fighting down one of his more ridiculous grins.

 

"Not long after I came aboard," said Ezri. "It was sort of a celebration after I got promoted to lieutenant."

 

"And you've only just noticed?" asked Julian, addressing Odo with surprise.

 

"I've been busy," said Odo defensively, and Ezri smirked. "I don't know why you're smiling, Lieutenant, breaking and entering is a very serious offense. I should throw you in one of my holding cells."

 

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" said Bashir, frowning.

 

"Station regulations, Doctor. I should hold Lieutenant Dax while her case is referred to a magistrate." Ezri's face paled. "However," continued Odo, "since this is a first offence I am willing to overlook the incident. Provided of course that everything in my quarters is returned to it's rightful place. Does that sound reasonable, Lieutenant?"

 

"Extremely reasonable, Constable," replied Ezri with a nod. "Everything will be back to normal before 2500 hours."

 

"See that it is," said Odo, and Dax gave him a look of gratitude that had nothing to do with him letting her off with a warning. Odo bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of what had passed between them. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork that needs doing."

 

As Odo headed towards his office he sent a fond thought in Ezri's direction. _You'll fit in here just fine Ezri, he thought, how could you not; you're a Dax through and through._

 


End file.
